'Heartbreaking': National Trust says Dunwich Heath could take 20 years to recover
It follows a wildfire which has burnt over 150 hectares of land
The National Trust says it could take up to two decades for Dunwich Heath to return to its former glory following the devastating wildfire that has scorched hundreds of acres of nationally important habitat.
Although green shoots could begin emerging as early as next year, the conservation charity says the full recovery of the internationally important heathland, including some of its rarest wildlife, will take far longer.
Paul Forecast, Regional Director for the National Trust, described the destruction as "heartbreaking" and warned the fire should serve as a "wake-up call" about the impacts of climate change.
The wildfire, which began last week, (Wednesday 29th of July)remains an active incident, with Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service continuing to tackle underground hotspots across the site.
Speaking to us, Mr Forecast said he first learned of the fire while away on holiday before hearing it had spread from nearby Minsmere into Dunwich.
"My initial reaction was just one of real shock and real sadness," he said.
"This is an incredible place for nature and a place that's much loved by people who visit the area."
'Heartbroken' by the scale of destruction
As the fire spread over several days, Mr Forecast said the scale of the devastation became increasingly apparent.
"What has actually happened over that period of time is it has pretty much covered the entirety of Dunwich," he said.
"It has gone from a small area to, in effect, an area the size of 150 football pitches."
He said visitors would normally expect to see flowering heather, gorse, birdsong and insects at this time of year, but much of that habitat has now been reduced to "charred remains".
Having visited the heath for around 30 years and worked professionally with the site for two decades, Mr Forecast said seeing images of the damage had been especially difficult.
"I'm absolutely heartbroken," he said.
"Particularly for the staff and volunteers that have worked there. They've put their heart and soul into making this place a brilliant site for wildlife and a brilliant place for people to come."
Recovery expected to take decades
The National Trust has launched a public appeal to help fund the site's recovery, with more than 2,000 people donating within the first few days, according to Mr Forecast.
He said the money would help make the site safe, remove damaged trees and debris, restore footpaths and benches, replant trees where necessary and support the long-term restoration of the landscape.
While heather and gorse are expected to regenerate naturally from seed already protected beneath the soil, other areas will require active management.
"I think you could start to see greenery back there at the start of next year," he said.
"To get it back to what it was before might take two decades."
Wildlife will recover at different rates
The National Trust believes some species will return relatively quickly as vegetation regenerates, while others could take much longer.
Mr Forecast said insects and reptiles may begin recolonising the site within a year or two, but birds, including Dartford warblers and nightjars depend on mature heathland habitat.
"It may take us a little bit longer to bring that back and that might be 10, 15, 20 years before we see them coming back to the full numbers we saw before," he said.
He added that while some fast-moving animals would have escaped the fire, other species, including the caterpillars of rare butterflies such as the silver-studded blue, are likely to have perished.
'A wake-up call'
Mr Forecast believes both climate change and human behaviour are contributing to the growing risk of wildfires.
"I think the fire at Dunwich is an impact of climate change," he said.
"We are seeing much hotter, drier summers without as much rainfall and therefore that makes it much more likely that we're going to get fires like this."
However, he also urged visitors to play their part by avoiding activities that increase fire risk.
"We can't encourage people enough to be incredibly careful. We obviously don't want another thing like Dunwich to happen again."
He said avoiding disposable barbecues, disposing of litter responsibly and taking care with cigarettes were all simple steps that could help prevent future fires.
Looking further ahead, Mr Forecast said wider action on climate change was also needed.
"If Dunwich is anything, it's a bit of a wake-up call that these are the impacts of climate change.
"This is not an abstract thing anymore. This is having a real impact on wildlife, on places that people enjoy visiting and on our lifestyles too."
Public urged to stay away
Despite growing public interest in the fire, the National Trust is urging people not to visit the heath while emergency crews remain at work.
"I think the key thing is just keeping safe," Mr Forecast said.
"There are still fire service crews working gallantly to put down flames and keep us safe.
"There are unsafe trees that have been damaged by fire, so my ask is that people stay away and keep themselves safe."
The National Trust says it will continue assessing the full extent of the damage once emergency services declare the site safe to enter, with restoration work expected to continue for many years.